US Senators ask Clinton to oppose anti-Israel resolution at UN

Published: Wednesday, January 19, 2011, 12:15 [IST]

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Washington, Jan 19 (PTI) As many as 16 US Senatorshave asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to oppose a UNresolution that is being drafted by the Palestinian Authority(PA) in an effort to unilaterally dictate terms to Israel,enabling the PA to avoid direct negotiations.

"We are very concerned about reports that thePalestinian Authority is drafting a resolution intended forconsideration at the United Nations Security Council regardingissues that have been and should continue to be pursuedthrough direct negotiations between the Palestinian Authorityand Israel, namely borders and settlements," the Senators saidin a letter to Clinton.

"We believe such a move hurts the prospects for apeace agreement and is not in the interest of the UnitedStates," said the letter signed by the Senators led by SenatorKirsten Gillibrand of New York.

"We strongly urge you to make clear that the UnitedStates will veto such a resolution if it is raised at theCouncil, and to clearly communicate United States'' intent todo so to other Security Council members," it said.

"A resolution of this nature would work against ourcountry''s consistent position, which has been that this andother issues linked to the Middle East peace process can onlybe resolved by the two parties negotiating directly with eachother," Gillibrand wrote in her letter.

"Attempts to use a venue such as the United Nations,which you know has a long history of hostility toward Israel,to deal with just one issue in the negotiations, will not movethe two sides closer to a two-state solution, but ratherdamage the fragile trust between them," it said.